Thursday, April 9, 2009

PROTECT GRAY WOLVES IN NORTHERN ROCKIES! THEY NEED OUR HELP!


These beautiful, mystical creatures need our help! Please read the excerpt taken from the NRDC AND BIOGEM website explaining what is going to happen to the wolves in the Northern Rockies, if not enough signatures are received before May 4th, to stop this unwarranted slaughter of God's beautiful creatures.
In 1930, a federal officer shot what was believed to be the last wolf in Yellowstone National Park. Thanks to the Endangered Species Act and an ambitious reintroduction program, some 1,500 wolves have returned to the northern Rockies, and the howling wolf is once again the icon of western wilderness.
But recently, Interior Secretary Salazar rubber-stamped a Bush-era plan to kick the wolves of the northern Rockies off the endangered species list and leave them vulnerable to mass killing. More than 600 wolves wolves could be caught in the crossfire of state-sponsored wolf hunts. NRDC is filing suit in federal court to block this disastrous policy. It’s a fight we’ve won before. In the summer of 2008, NRDC and 11 other conservation groups compelled the Bush administration to abandon its first attempt to strip wolves of their protection when we made the case that the wolves had not fully recovered. Over this past year, the wolf population of Yellowstone National Park declined 27 percent -- and more than 70% of wolf pups in the park died of disease. NRDC will be fighting in federal court to compel Secretary Salazar to withdraw this disastrous plan and submit it to the kind of rigorous scientific review that the Obama administration has championed on other issues.

Click on the link below to add your signature to the list. A few minutes of your time could help save these beautiful creatures.


Tuesday, April 7, 2009

SPRING FLING PART III - Visit Spring on ETSY

Welcome to the last of my SPRING FLING features. Here you will see a group of delightful shops on Etsy who are all ready to welcome spring with their colorful, fun creations.


Cherry Blossom Notecards
SHOP: SCARLETT DESIGN
Photography, Stationery,Gifts




WildFlower
Antique Bronze Necklace with Butterfly Pendant and brightly coloured accents
SHOP: STELLAR LIGHT DESIGNS
Jewelry - Necklaces, earrings in a variety of styles




PRETTY IN PINK
SHOP: MIMI ROB
Doll Clothes, Girls Clothing, Aprons





BABY HEDGEHOG
SHOP: THERESA'S CERAMICS
Fun, Funky Whimsical Ceramics





Eco Chic Everyday Housewife Apron
SHOP: MOMOMADEIT
COOL APRONS...RETRO INSPIRED...SEXY, FEMININE FIT!!





JUST FOR FUN A fun glass bead bracelet and earring set for you
SHOP: BEAD VOYAGER
Travel Inspired Bead Designs...Earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets





Yellow with Cherries Dog Collar
SHOP: DESIGNS BY JINX
Fabric Dog collars





Spring Tropical Recyled Journal

SHOP: BURGANDY DISTRICT

Eco friendly journals and books




Bonsai and little kitten sculpture
SHOP: LADA WORKS
Interior design creations for every room in your home





FORGET ME NOT
SHOP: OHANA GLASS DESIGNS
Unique fused and beaded glass jewelry




ACEO OOAK Original Art Card Teapot Tea Cup Teatime

OSWOA Dragon Jinx Purple Flower Painting
SHOP: MAREZY DOATS77
ACEO'S




Princess Buttercup - 8x10 Metallic Pearlescent Fine Art Photographic Print
SHOP: IF I HAD WORDS
Photography by Nikki Trexel




Spring Fling earrings

handmade peridot briolette iolite apatite citrine tourmaline swarovski crystal sterling silver
SHOP: KALLIOPE JEWELRY
Handmade contemporary gemstone jewelry




Goldfinches and Thistle a digital print by Sarah Knight 8X10
SHOP: SARA K DESIGNS
Archival prints and artwork by Sarah Knight




Farmer's market theme fabric grocery shopping market tote bag
SHOP: KELLY'S SEWING BASKET
Unique handmade gift items from Kelly's Sewing Basket




SPRING CHARMER BRACELET
SHOP: JACQUELINE V. DESIGNS
Handcrafted Artisan Jewelry - Necklaces, bracelets, earrings




Benny the vegan Easter Bunny
SHOP: A-KNIT-THING
Adorable knit animals




Pink Stripes SPRING baby/toddler BIB
SHOP: BARNYARD BABY
Handmade bibs and burb cloths




Think Outside the Box
SHOOP: ADROIT JEWELERS
Pendants, earrings, anklets, necklaces and more




BLUEBIRD glass round pendant 1 inch circle.....BEAUTIFUL
SHOP: IM JEWELEE
Scrabble Tile Necklaces and Wholesale Jewelry Supplies




FEATURED ETSY SHOP - ALL KINDS OF ART

SUNNY, THE GIRAFFE
by
GLENDA

ALL KINDS OF ART is the perfect name for Glenda's shop on Etsy! This delightful, talented artist has just that....all kinds of beautiful art....in her shop, ranging from fine art prints such as Sunny, the Giraffe shown above, as well as jewelry, fiber baskets, and a lot more. Be sure to pay a visit to ALL KINDS OF ART. I've been browsing through Glenda's shop and am amazed at all the areas of creativity.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

My kindergarten teacher told my parents to encourage me in art and I knew I wanted to teach art by the time I got to 6th grade. I wound up teaching art to middle school and high school kids for 31 years.

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

I liked drawing and painting really well in my college years, but when I took a workshop with Vera Curnow, who founded the Colored Pencil Society of America, I got hooked on colored pencils! They are SO wonderful, especially when used with a solvent and watercolors.

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?

Getting the IDEA for an art piece and working out the logistics---what surface, what size, what colors to use, how to create the focal point and contrast. When I'm making craft items, like my facepins, it is the decorating that thrills me. Sometimes I am having so much fun I will sit there and just cackle---some items just seem to create their own personality.

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable to describe your art/craft, what would you choose and why?

Grapes. I love so many different mediums that they are the grapes that make up the "bunch" in my shop.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your "creativity", what would that be, and why?

Gardening. I love to grow flowers but I am not very good at it. I admire those who can grow a lovely flower garden full of color and scent.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

Color and creativity can enrich anyone's home and life.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Sometimes your best rewards can come just from the art of creating. Whether you sell the item or get an award for it or not, you learned something new just by creating it.

GLENDA, thanks so much for sharing all your creative talents with everyone, and for giving us a bit of an insight as to what makes you "tick" as an artist. BEAUTIFUL WORK! To see more of Glenda's work be sure to visit the links below.

GALLERY OF PHOTOS

Monday, April 6, 2009

FEATURED ETSY SHOP - HJM ART GALLERY by HELEN JONOW MIQUEO

Huge Original Landscape Red Poppies Painting - Night California Poppies
by
Helen Jonow Miqueo

"This painting is for your soul! Freshness and eternal freedom of this artwork will inspire you and make your walls truly alive!"

Helen is definitely an inspired artist with her colorful, abstract paintings! They will truly make a wall come alive, as she states in her description above! I'm very happy to have Helen and her wonderful artwork out here on DZFANTASY as a featured artist. Be sure to pay HJM ART GALLERY on Etsy a visit. First, lets learn a bit more about Helen and her creative talent.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I can say that I have been painting since I was born. As long as I remember, I have been creating something. Creativity was always in my family. My grandfather wanted to be an artist, but World War II interrupted his dreams. My grandmother was an incredibly talented woman who created very beautiful, intricate embroidery and crochet-work. My mother is an architect. Following in my family’s steps, I am also an artist.

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

Over the years I have been trying and experimenting with many different mediums and techniques: oil, tempera, gouache, acrylics… I settled on acrylics. I create my pouring paintings by mixing acrylic paint with water and pouring the mixture onto the canvas, creating free-flowing shapes and forms. This technique requires a lot of flexibility from a painting medium and acrylics are just perfect for it. The main advantage of acrylics is that they are water-based and can be used as watercolors or as an opaque medium. Drying time is excellent as well as their tolerance for correction.

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?

I love it all: from mixing the paint to the final touch ups.

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable, to describe your art/craft, what would you choose, and why?

Interesting question. It would definitely be a multi-layered fruit with many different hidden elements. When the paint mixes, it creates many different shapes, shades and forms. Every time one looks at the painting, something new is discovered. So, the first thing that comes to mind would be a pomegranate.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?

I think it would be photography. I took a photography class in college and was fascinated with the ability of light to capture, convey and preserve for eternity the fleeting moments of life.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

My art doesn’t have a specific message, but it has a meaning. The meaning of my art is my imagination, and through imagination people can connect with each other on a different kind of level. I also hope that people enjoy my art as much as I have enjoyed creating it.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Never give up! Art is a tough business with a lot of competition. It is so easy to get discouraged and give up. No matter what others say or advise you to do, believe in yourself and stay the course.

Helen, great art and advice! I don't know how anyone could look at your colorful, imaginative paintings and not see "joy" in them. They are wonderful! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and creativity with everyone.

To learn more about Helen and her art, be sure to visit the links below.



HJM BLOG

Sunday, April 5, 2009

SWEET, PETITE SPRINGTIME FAIRY!

6.5" tall - fiber sculpted fairy
by DZFANTASY

SPRING has sprung and this sweet little fairy is dancing for joy! She is wearing a new spring hat decorated with a silk flower and Swarovski crystals in the center of it. She just arrived, so if you'd like to see more of her just click on her photos.